West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-08-11

beautifully with the snowy whiteness of
my dress"
She rose up with a languid yawn, and
in stepping toward the window, trampled
on some fiat substance. She STONED
down and picked up Johns pocketbookl
BLESS me-" she exclaimed, smiles
dimphng her rosy checks, "what n
lucky iindl l wonder what's in itl'
She smilingly unclasped it. and roll
OF bank notes fell out, which she counted
with swift precision.
Two hundred exactly,m she eiacula-
ted. "And John said ne could not spare
the money. Well, what belongs TO nv
husband belongs TO me, and will have
that set of sapphiresm
She laughed glecfully as she waltzed
out of the room TO dress, for she impul-
sively determined TO secure the sapphires
before John would miss the money. De-
light lent haste TO her nimble fingers, and
before many minutes she was on the
street looking so bright and fresh in her
walking suit of Quaker drab that many
an admiring eye followed the graceful
figure.
Poor, needless Cecil never thought of
the consequences of her foolish act. al
though she expected John would rebuke
her severely for spending the money; but
she trusted to his lenicncy and her own
powers of persuasion to soften his wrath.
He had never, as he said refused her
anything in reason, and if this was an
apparently useless purchase, she could
easily turn the jewels into money, IL the
rainy day John was always predicting
ever arrived.
On her return from Raby & Co. :.
with the jewel caskct safely slowed
away in her pocket, she was brought TO
sudden standstill by meeting her hus-
band coming out of the dining-room
with pcrturbed and anxious counte.
nance. Her face flushed guiltily, for she
knew, or imagined she did, the cause of
his agitation.
Cecil" he said hurriodly, II have
lost my pOckct-book. Did YOU find it2"
Lost your pocket-bookl Z" echoed Mrs.
Morgan, fcigning great surprise and
cvading his queston-not that she meant
TO deny finding it, but the confession re-
quircd more moral courage than she could
muster at present.
YES, lost my pockct-book, repeated
MIR. Morgan in troubled voice; "and
the money in it belonged TO the firm. ="
Mrs. Morgan's heart stood still with
CONSERVATION, and she grew white TO the
lips
John, she gasped, as if something
was choking her, tell me how il was I"
1t was this way. Macray gave me
two hundred dollars rs was leaving the
Office yesterday evening TO pay bill we
owed lIenby & Sons. But they were closed
when reached theirollicc, and brought
the money home with me, intending TO
pay II as / went down town this morn
ing; but owing to a death in the family
the store was still closed, and never knew
had lost the money until had reached
our own Office. Cecil, are you sure it's
not in the houselp
II am sure / don't know" stam-
mcrcd Cecil, too overwhelmed with fear
and modification to think nationally.
Not Johns money! She felt dazed
and crushed, and totally unable to con
fess her folly. She dropped into hall
chair, looking so weak and i'll that John
forgot his own trouble in anxiety for
Cecil
"You must not be so frightened, wife.
he said kindly; lit may turn up in the
house. Come, help to search for it.
Cecil rose up mechanically, and fol-
lowed him from room TO room, listening
in mute terror, to his regrets, when the
pocketbOok could not be found. Invol-
unfairly her hand went down into the
pocket Of her dress, and as she clutched
the jewel case in her cold fingers deadly
faintness almost overcame her, for, try as
she would, she could not draw il forth.
or force her lips TO confess what to her
awakened conscience seemed nothing less
than theft. She knew her husbands in
dignation would be deep. although not
loudly expressed, for d shonesty OF any
kind was contemplate in his eyes.
Would he excuse it in his wifel All no !
and as the sinful aspect Of the affair pre-
sentcd itself TO her mind, her shame and
agitation increased and she found it
still more dilliculttO confess her error.
''Its strange" commented Mr.. Nor
gan. musingly, as after thoroughly search
ing the rooms, they paused in the hall,
81 must have dropped it in the house,
and it cannot be found. Or, could any
one have picked my pocket, Cecil2 A
startled expression came into his eyes,
and he hastily examined the inside pocket
OF his overcOat
mo" he said, with light laugh.
"no one could pick that pocket without
my knowledge It must have fallen
out" He looked kecnly-without any
suspicion of the truth, howcver-at the
lovely, dOwncast face Of his wife.
"Chccr up, little wife" he said, with
affected gayety. 81 must go back 60 the
Office; but you keep sharp lookout for
the money. IL may have got knocked in
TO some dark corner"
'DOes-docs- stammered Cecil. hot
with feverish anxiety; "does the firm
know itp
"Macray does. told him before left
the office"
And John Morgan shut the door with
a bang, an unusual roughness for him,
leaving his wife standing in the dim light,
as il stricken dumb.
The large, roomy Office in the com
mission house Of Macray g. Co. was a
blaze Of golden spring sunshine, as John
Morgan, flushed with his walk through
the crisp morning air. entered it, after his
fruitlcss search. His face wore troubled
expression as he went up to Mr. Macray.
whte-haircd benevolent man
~ have searched the house cnectually
for that pockctbook and "
"Iou did not find it, John3" quickly
interrupted Mr.. Macray, with q curious
smile
"No sir, 7 did not and cannot ac-
count for its loss